I'm so upset :(

[Daisy'sMom]

Some of you may know or recall that when Daisy was younger we battled a lot of diarrhea problems (parasites, etc). Long story short, she is strictly on her dry dog food fed twice a day. She doesn't get any fancy treats, for awhile we gave her some nice organic dog biscuits from the local feed store and she tolerated them well. So after we got the diarrhea under control she then became a morning barfer which from what we learned from the vet, it's acid reflux. She vomits on an empty stomach. So we started giving her a bedtime snack around 11PM which was the organic treats that I just spoke of. Daisy has been doing awesome and has been healthy all spring and summer and then wham, we wake up yesterday morning to her barfing in her bed at 6:30AM. And this time it wasn't the yellow foam (which is acid reflux) it was actual barf. And guess what? This morning, well before our alarms even went off to get up, we wake up to her having diarrhea in our master bathroom and at the top of our stairs (carpet!!!). ARGHHHHHHH!!!!! We are beside ourselves. WTH?!?!? How can Daisy go from seeming to finally be healthy to barfing and diarrhea. She does not eat anything off the ground anymore like she used to as a puppy, we don't go to dog parks, when she's outside we are always with her, so I have a hard time believing she picked up any kind of virus. The only thing I can think of is I got lazy and didn't go back to the feed store for the nice treats. I bought some chewy beef Milkbone brand treats and some Snausages at Petsmart. Is it possible those treats have thrown her off? We started giving her those about 7-8 days ago. Is it possible she has food allergies? How do you know if your dog has them? I'm so upset and sad, and now she's been tied up outside on her leash for 2 hours because she needs a bath because she's just gross. I'm calling the vet when they open. Any thoughts? Thanks for listening.

[lindamarie]

YES, I do recall your story.
So, now what? It's funny how i was JUST going to start a thread and ask questions about a new development in Bogart............and now you're back to the same thing.

I'm going to take a stab at this and say it's the Milkbones and snausages.
It appears we have BOTH introduced something new in their diets. You did the above mentioned.....and I have switched to all new and different organic treats and teeth cleaning organic bones!
Bogart is not vomiting, but his poo's have started to get looser and looser in the past 2 weeks.
I also added a teaspoon of yogurt at night. I thought that would be good or him!

WHAT GIVES?

When we put him on Orijen, he firmed up and was producing these excellent poo's........I know, that sounds funny.....but they were!
Also, he is blowing people out of rooms with gas recently. And that now means he will have to poo very shortly.
We had him all straightened out just like you did and now, when i clean up a pile, it's like jello! I have to get the hose or a sprinkling can and water it down in the grass because the flies love it!

Talk to your vet and I think I'm going to take a stool sample in for Bogart.
They both seem to have sensitive stomachs!

[Daisy'sMom]

Well I guess we are in this together . I value good solid stools more than anything! And Daisy has been doing so great. Ugh!!!! I have a call in to the vet, waiting for a call back. I think we are just going to have eliminate all treats, poor girl! But if I don't give her SOMETHING at bedtime then she'll barf in the morning. I feel like I can't win. I know exactly what you mean, I had to clean up piles of mush yesterday in the yard, G-R-O-S-S!!!!!!!! I was literally gagging and so grumpy. Which I feel bad about because Daisy senses it. And I, too, have to hose down the spot where the mush was because my kids play in our backyard so I don't want gross shoes, etc. Bottom line, it's just gross. Can you tell I'm just done!?!? And the vet continuously asks me if she feels OK. Ummm, yes, she's running around the house right now like a crazy lady. She feels totally fine and is begging to eat.

I hope Bogart is doing better soon, too. I guess we shouldn't be changing up our products and routines! And I, too, have Daisy's stool sample ready to go, just waiting for the vet to say "drop off another sample...."

Thanks for listening Linda

[Lucky Me]

Did the vet recommend something like Forti Flora? LOVE this stuff!
FortiFlora® Canine Nutritional Supplements | Purina Veterinary Diets

I use this when ever I have poo problems, and give while I have to use antibiotics.
The vet told me about it long ago and sells it there......

How about homemade cookies? Pumpkin is great for diarrhea AND constipation.....

Pumpkin Dog Cookies
7 cups oatmeal
lg 30 oz can pumpkin (plain, not seasoned)
1 cup applesauce
2 tsp. vanilla

Combine ingredients...roll into small balls and press down with a fork on cookie sheet...
Bake 15-20 min. @ 350

Store in the fridge.....I divide into qt. bags and freeze, and pull out a new one when the bag is used up. I have 3 dogs so they go fast!

[Daisy'sMom]

Just talked to the vet - no need to take in a stool sample for now, phew! She is now on a bland diet (rice and boiled skinless chix breast) along with pepcid to calm her stomach. They think the Snausages were too rich for her. Poor Daisy, no fun treats! Although thank you Lucky Me for the cookie recipe, I just might try them as the ingredients seem totally fine. I've never heard of Forti Flora. Our vet never recommends anything other than a bland diet. We did do the Panacur profile awhile back and that worked great, I hope we don't have to do that again though cuz it was a pain and Daisy dislikes it even though we mixed it with bland baby food

[jodysh]

Sorry Daisy and Bogart are having issues Hope they both get better soon!!

Jotting down that cookie recipe too!

[Lucky Me]

This stuff is truly amazing!
When your dog does a course of antibiotics, it wipes out all the good stuff in their gut.
From the web page......
FortiFlora is a nutritional supplement for dogs and has been formulated to achieve the following characteristics:
Contains a special strain of probiotic that has been proven to promote intestinal health and balance
Contains a guaranteed amount of live active cultures
Promotes a healthy immune system
Contains high levels of antioxidant Vitamins A, E, and C
Excellent palatability
How does FortiFlora work?
FortiFlora may help nutritionally manage dogs with diarrhea in many situations, including:
Stressful situations such as boarding or change in home environment
Diet change or consumption of inappropriate foods
Soft stool in puppies
Antibiotic therapy

[Mel]

i know this is a very late reply (I have been out of action lately..) just wanted to check in and see how Daisy and Bogart were doing now ?

I second the fortiflora.....it really is good stuff and we use it often, Spike also has a sensitive tummy and we seem to be finally settling down at nearly 10 months of age ! he is now on limited ingredient sweet potato and venison kibble with a t-spoonful of plain yogurt twice a day and a milk bone for a snack midday.

hope your babies are better ! i know the stress of the runny poops....it really is gross

[Daisy'sMom]

Thanks for checking in Mel! Daisy is doing much much better. The problem was the treats we started giving her were just too rich for her. We have her on new food now and one Pepcid AC with her dinner every night. She's doing much much better and no more issues. We'd like to introduce treats slowly again but am debating on what will be OK with her stomach. Poor Daisy frequently stands by our pantry door waiting for a snack and I have nothing to offer her at this point

[Nikkiey]

Juneau had a sensitive stomach when he was younger and we made his own treats out of his kibble, we would just add warm water to his kibble and then pack it into an icecube tray and freeze it. Even though it was just his regular stuff when we gave him his "treat" he thought it was awesome.

I wish you guys luck when you start intoducing new stuff, it's always hard at first, but hopefully there won't be too many adverse effects.

[browndog]

Poor girl! I totally understand. We have had trouble with Katey's stomach in the past too. It was so bad that I kept a food journal for her and tracked everything she ate and her bowel movements etc... We tried about 7 different foods and in the end it is just major food sensitivities. Almost ALL kinds of meat give her terrible diarrhea and also make her act really crazy. Beef and chicken were the worst! Lamb and duck went over the best so far. She also can't eat liver treats or else she gets a bladder infection everytime! So strange. The only type of treat she can tolerate so far are the Zuke's peanut butter treats. So far she can't eat snausages or any of the other popular treats...especially the meaty ones. So as far as treats for training and such, often we just use her regular kibble and dole it out one piece at a time. She doesn't seem to mind. I feel kind of bad for her because I think she must be bored with the same food all the time. We are slowly trying new food items to give some variation to her diet and monitoring her response. So far, the foods that work are : hardboiled egg, carrotts, zucchini, pumpkin, and apple. I am going to try that dog cookie recipe that was posted on here awhile back and see how she does on it.
Maybe try giving her her regular kibble for her late night snack. Good luck. I know it is distressing when these things happen especially when you have been so diligent.

[Mel]

i'm so glad Daisy is doing better ! it really is stressful when the runny poops start...i live in constant dread of it happening again !

Spike gets a milk bone treat or a Natural Balance duck & potato snack....he has the NB kibble and we love it He also sometimes has a small piece of hard cheddar cheese or a small piece of peeled apple.....not all together though, just the odd day instead of a dog treat.

[Ace's Place]

Hi Lucky me, Just wanted to say thank you for the wonderful cookie recipe. It made a lot of cookies that are in the freezer and Ace loves them!

[Jeanne C]

Please bear with me, I'm new here. Does anyone know of a dog treat that is all natural and not made in China?? I don't know if you are aware of this but I saw it on the news yesterday.Specific warning about chicken jerky pet treats from FDA - Chicago Pets | Examiner.com I checked all of Gracie's snacks. All of her favorites are made in China.Dogswell insists that not "all" of their products are made in China. All I know that I now have a large and expensive bag of "Made in China" treats that I am no longer going to give her. Thanks for the cookie recipe.

[Jeanne C]

Just came across this as I was checking into the Natural Balance Duck & Potato snack that someone mentioned. Don't know what is safe to feed our dog anymore. Consumer complaints about Natural Balance Pet Foods